This place was amazing! Everything was melt in your mouth good Hawaiian cuisine. It's a must try!read more

We came here because it came highly recommended by family that travels to this area often. And it…read moredid not disappoint! In fact, we came back the next day! Our favorites were the Braised Beef Shortribs, Pork Belly Fat Abobo, and Garlic Butter Shrimp. They are known for the Garlic Furikake Chicken, which was good, but a little hard to chew at times. The pork adobo rice is amazing, so definitely pay the extra charge for that over white rice. The pickled kimchee cucumbers were also delicious. I wish they sold that in a large jar to take home! They also have lots of ice cream pie desserts that looked delicious, but we decided to forgo that in favor of shave ice somewhere else.

I used to go here all the time to get my filipino food fix. Unfortunately they closed the Kalihi…read morerestaurant and now have to make the drive out to Waipahu. If you have never been here I highly recommend you trying their filipino food. Portion size is good and worth the money but the main reason you're buying their food is cause it's winnahs. I did take out a few of their menu items. Their special for July is lechon Kawali, pancit, pork gisantes and pork adobo fried rice. It's good to get this or mixed plate with 3 choices. It allows to try more of their menu selections. While one is good 3 or 4 is much better especially if coming here for the very first time. You won't be disappointed. I called in to place my order and it would be twenty minutes which is fine cause that's how long it took me to get there. The food was hot and ready to go. I made sure my ac was off so I can enjoy a nice hot lunch. The place was crowded even at 1pm. People know good food when they eat it. Lots of parking. The lechon Kawali was good. It's nice and meaty with some nice soft fat pieces. Oh so good. Yeah if you are worried about cholesterol then this might not be for you. If not you gonna enjoy it. The pancit is good. The pork gisantes which is more commonly known as pork and peas is really good. It's like stew and you wanna mix your rice with it. If you like eggs over easy then you should have that over your gisantes. It's sooooooo good. Kinda like Loco moco except it's stew. When that yolk breaks and blends in with the gisantes hoo boy. Just really good stuff there. Then the main attraction is their pork adobo fried rice omelet. I believe they were the original restaurant that brought it out. I might be wrong but they make it just right. Every bite is so good especially when you bite into one that has fat in it. Yummy. Yeah not a good choice if you're staying away from cholesterol but if not you're gonna enjoy it. The pork adobo fried rice is not dry like some other places I've tried. Ok I admit i love filipino food. I had to get dinuguan. Chocolate meat. Another winner with rice and really good with over eggs on top of it. Nice tender succulent pieces of pork. Oh my God, it's so good. I also got Shanghai lumpia. This is da bomb. You gotta eat this one hot and fresh. If not it gets stale and soggy so I ate this first. You dip it into vinegar. I like a little heat so I add Tabasco to it. Great with beer. It's so good. I'm missing it already. Then the final dish i got was their sari sari. It's soup with mixed veggies, baby shrimp and lechon. The soup is delicious and comforting. It's great on a cold night or maybe when you're feeling sick. Better than your chicken noodle soup for sure. It's also great remedy for that hangover you got last night. Lol All in all you just gotta try it. Let me know what you got and how good it tasted. Enjoy and thank me later.

One of the best options for Filipino food in the area!…read more The classics always hit and never fail to impress! The lechon omlette is always my go to and always way too much to finish in one sitting! Overall an amazing place to come for lunch...just don't plan on doing anything due to a food coma!

I was on my way to Shabuya and ended up finding this food truck along the way as a happy accident…read more As a casual daily helper, I'm always looking at Yelp to help me find my next meal, so naturally I've heard of Laverne's for a while. When I found this food truck, I immediately wanted to stop by and see what the hype was about. I visited about 30 minutes before closing. The only thing they had run out of was the chop steak and one other protein, which wasn't too big of a deal for me. My eye was on the beef stew. Growing up in a Filipino household, I knew this dish as "caldareta." My dad would make this for me all the time. I asked for a bowl to go so I could enjoy it for dinner later. The first bite instantly sent me back to my family's home kitchen, where I would come home from school and find a pot of beef stew waiting for me. What I love about Hawaii is that it has a blend of cultures that I truly appreciate as a foodie, and experiences like this feel like a nostalgia tour. Thank you for this delicious meal. It made me miss my mom and dad a little more than I usually do. Food not only nourishes us, but also brings us back to a moment in time. I thank Laverne's for that.

I always like Laverne's food truck when I was living in Kunia I used to go to the one in Waikele…read morethe food was good so today me and the wife had errands to do so we got coffee and Starbucks and stop at the Kapolei one by Home Depot wasn't busy so wifey go the combo A and I got the B both with rice she got a side of the beef stew, had one guy serving the food my plate had the Kalua pig and Squid luau was ono the only downfall was the rice I guess was the day old rice cause was but other than that food was good

I am so happy I came here for lunch. The prime rib was top tier paired with the garlic mashed…read morepotatoes and a side salad. The 8 oz portion was huge. My friend ordered the pork adobo with side rice and she loved it! I also had the banana lumpia with ube ice cream as an appetizer. It was crispy, sweet, and worth every bite! Nicely presented too! Thanks Tiano's and team. I will definitely be back.

Went by today (Saturday) at 1230 (90 min after opening) and wanted Sisig, they were already out! 90…read moremin after opening!!! Very disappointed.... Everything else ordered was broke da mouth. But I needed a Sisig fix. They were not busy. They said they had "just run out" but if the three other tables there no one else had Sisig on the table.

I usually go to the Pearl City location and have not been disappointed. This restaurant is very…read moreclean and spacious. Looks like there is a party room, too. I love Filipino food and often I'm looked at as are you sure you're in the right place? I did not get that here. Even when I had to ask what one of the desserts was. I got a clear explanation. It was a little bit of a wait, but I guess that means the food is fresh! And, yes, it is delicious, too!!!

Awesome price for portions given. Food is made to order, so it's not just sitting in a warmer all…read moreday

If you haven't checked out Minasa already, you gotta put it on the top of your must-try list…read more Filipino flavors with a modern twist, it's one of my favorite Filipino restaurants on the island. You can sometimes find them at food festivals, and they always have the longest line but at their brick and mortar- you can always satisfy your Filipino cravings. One of my favorite things on their menu is the calamansi chicken wings, it's got a bit of spicy kick and it's so good. You can order just the wings or get it as a bowl with rice and pickled vegetables. The sisig is also a classic that you can get with either crispy chicken or pork belly that's chopped up into small pieces and served with an egg. I love that all of the food here has a nice balance of salt, fat, and acid. And if you're wanting to try out all their best sellers, go for the kamayan sampler with lechon fries, calamansi fried chicken with rice, and ube churros. Or their Chef's special with lechon, calamansi fried chicken, and kalbi short ribs.

I'll never stop raving about this place…read more Minasa is a restaurant serving a variety of comforting and nostalgic Filipino food -- appetizers, entree, desserts and drinks. The space is cozy and welcoming, with limited amount of seating but ok for holding intimate events. Service is always great, food always comes out fresh and hot, and they always get our orders right. My personal favorites would be: * Kare-Kare (Beef Peanut Stew), which reminds me of my mom's cooking; and * Calamansi fried chicken + noodles, the noodles are very nostalgic for me as it reminds me of my "merienda" (afternoon snack) when I was growing up (in the Philippines). They usually change up their monthly specials (which I always look forward too) so make sure to check out their Instagram page @minasahawaii. Plenty of shared parking space in the shopping complex where it's located (Tropicana Square).

Duck fat fried rice was awesome! Fried chicken was awesome!…read moreWatercress tofu salad was awesome! Service was awesome! Portions are reasonably priced. Ceilings are very high and feel spacious. Side bar and upstairs private area for party. Sports bar feel with televisions. Only thing is not all we're on and the units are too small for the space. Other than that, it's spacious and clean. No pictures this time.

This was our first time and we went for a late lunch. There were very few people there because it…read morewas an off peak time so the service was very quick! The food and drinks were good! Great portions and flavors. We enjoyed the kimchi pancake, duck fat fried rice, chicken wings, and tacos. I had a seen a previous review about it being dirty , the floor definitely had not been swept in a while. But everything else (tables, benches) seemed clean and I watched them spray down used tables. We would come back again!

Thelma's Filipino Restaurant -- Pure, Real, Home‑Cooked Vibes…read moreAs authentic as it gets -- fresh Filipino cooking straight from Nana and all the indai working hard in the kitchen. They never miss. Every plate tastes like it came from someone's home. Big thanks to Omi and Ang for the good company. We smashed all the favorites: Pancit noodles, Pork Guisantes, Sari Sari soup for cold days and the legendary Thelma Special -- the true star of the night (iykyk). Flavor, comfort, and heart in every bite. Always a solid choice when you want real Filipino food done right. Marie

Picked up lunch for my Co workers on a Friday around 11:30. It wasn't busy & had others picking up…read moreorders. They have disclaimers posted about consuming raw food, refund policy, and take out being your responsibility after it leaves the restaurant (must've explained that too many times - but hey they covered themselves)! Also a notice of 3% surcharge if paying with a credit card. Payment was easy (used debit) & staff was friendly. It looks like a comfy place to relax & get down on Filipino grindz. We got pork adobo (tender & flavorful), pancit mix (too lemony & lil mushy that day), Thelma's special (too salty, they wished I got regular lechon), Shanghai lumpia (ok) & adobo fried rice (good but small portion). The prices are reasonable but not as big portions as I thought would be.